Cobb mountain lupine
Lupinus sericatus
Last reviewed: September 2026
Cobb mountain lupine (Lupinus sericatus) is a perennial forb native to CA. It blooms in April and May. The flowers draw bumble bees.
Toxicity unknown
Cobb mountain lupine (Lupinus sericatus) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
12"–24" H × 12"–18" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
CA
Pollinators
bumble bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 458 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaPicture natives in your own yard
Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Cobb mountain lupine.
Browse plants for this ecoregion
A rare silky-haired perennial lupine with palmate gray-green leaves and upright spikes of blue to violet pea flowers. Grows in a compact clump on serpentine soils within a very limited native range.
Growing Cobb mountain lupine
Grow Cobb mountain lupine in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 12 to 18 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Host plant for silvery blue.
As a legume it fixes nitrogen in poor soils, its flowers depend on bumble bee pollination, and the foliage hosts silvery blue butterfly caterpillars.
Common questions
- How much sun does Cobb mountain lupine need?
- Cobb mountain lupine grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Cobb mountain lupine bloom?
- Cobb mountain lupine blooms in April and May.
- Where is Cobb mountain lupine native?
- Cobb mountain lupine (Lupinus sericatus) is native to CA, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What butterflies or moths does Cobb mountain lupine host?
- Cobb mountain lupine is a larval host plant for silvery blue.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Cobb mountain lupine? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.